masseffectfanfictionfandomcom-20200216-history
Ford v. Huerta
Ford v. Huerta is a landmark legal case in the Systems Alliance. Summary During his term in office in 2185, President Christopher Huerta of the United North American States suffered a stroke that left him legally dead for 90 minutes before his brain functions were transferred to a computer. The amount of memory degradation was never disclosed, however the Huerta administration insisted that he was more than competent to to hold his title as President. Huerta held his post for one more year after his stroke when Lisa Ford, Speaker of UNAS House of Representatives, brought charges against Huerta declaring his presidency illegitimate after the stroke. Ford argued that since he was declared dead for at least an hour before his mind was transferred, then everything that Huerta did as President after that was illegitimate. According to Ford, she should have been Vice President for the last year and and the Vice President should have been President. Prosecutors introduced expert witnesses in the trial of Ford v. Huerta started with the petitioner’s side. Dr. Samuel Wachhaus testified that President Huerta was brain-dead for too long to make a full recovery. Questioned on Huerta’s apparent cognitive health afterward, Wachhaus testified that the VI ran Huerta’s artificial memory so successfully that it took over his brain functions so that “there was no Huerta anymore. This is not a person with a VI memory, it’s a VI with a partially-organic operating system”. Defense attorneys introduced Dr. Lin Shiyin to testify, claiming that Huerta made a full recovery from a temporarily brain-dead state. Stumbling a little when grilled on Huerta’s timeline of cognition, Lin nevertheless made the case for Huerta being in full control once his motor functions and memory were assigned synthetic analogues. “To believe that he is now a different person, a synthetic, is to draw a line where no line is needed,” he argued. “A new man did not appear on the table when the first open-heart surgery was performed. His life was merely extended beyond what was thought possible at the time.” The case was eventually handed to the Systems Alliance as they had ultimate authority over such matters. What followed was a month of intense courtroom showdowns, trying to determine if President Huerta was still the same person before the surgery or if he was now some type of synthetic-organic hybrid. Ultimately, the Systems Alliance Supreme Court ruled in a 5–4 decision authored by Chief Justice Ling that Huerta was indeed the same person and his presidency was therefore legitimate. Ling announced, “This is not the first time human beings have technically died only to be brought back with proper medical attention. That the window of resuscitation has lengthened is no reason to support a partisan attack on the legitimacy of the President. The legal definition of death must be expanded beyond brain death to include cellular death as well”. Reactions Following the decision, massive protests erupted all over the United North American States stretching from Washington, D.C. through Mexico City and to Ottawa. The crowds chanting “Down with the zombie!” were quickly suppressed as riot police cleared the capitols with microwaves and stunners. More protests are reportedly planned for the weekend. Reports suggested the protests escalated so badly that Speaker Lisa Ford herself had to come out against the more extreme protesters. American resentment of the Systems Alliance became and remains extreme as a result of the decision. However, what is known that Huerta's political rivals did not respond well to the decision. Some went so far as to rename a hospital on the Citadel as Huerta Memorial Hospital to spite the man. Late-night comedians weighed in on Ford v. Huerta, the court case that has enough cyborgs, presidents, and controversy to be a Hollywood blockbuster in its own right. Cal DiCosimo said, “We’re supposed to care that the President was brain dead after his stroke? What I don’t get is that a room full of doctors said he had brain activity before it.” Natasha Lyons targeted House Speaker Lisa Ford, saying, “Her entire argument is that for the last year, she’s wanted to be Vice President. I’m sorry, honey, you don’t get out of working that easily.” And Manny Zupo gave his analysis: “For the last year, we’ve had a zombie cyborg president. Why does the Speaker want this to end? Every 12-year-old can now go to class and say ‘my president’s just as cool as the asari.” Category:MarkRulez711 Category:Articles by MarkRulez711 Category:Systems Alliance Category:Legal trials